Multiple pneumatic protection pad



NOV- 3, 1953 c. A. cUsHMAN ET A1. 2,657,385

MULTIPLE PNEUMATrc PROTECTION PAD Filed Aug. 5, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l c. A. cusHMAN ET AL 2,657,385

MULTIPLE PNEUMATIC PROTECTION PAD Nov. 3, 1953 Filed Aug. s, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .-1 Harney Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED STATE assis Cecil A. Cushman, Redlands, and William Harrison, Jr., San Bernardino, Calif.

Application August 3, 1951, Serial No. 2%,228

l Claims.

This invention relates to a novel inflated pad for use by athletes participating in games embodying bodily contact, such as football players and which is likewise well adapted for use by drivers of racing vehicles, aviators and others needing protection with outside objects.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pad which will afford a of protection to the knees, elbows or other parts of the body of the user over which the pad is applied and which may be made suniciently soft and yieldable as not to violate the rules of certain sports prohibiting the use of a hard pad and which, due to the flexibility of the pad, will more readily o shape itself to the part of the body to be protected thereby.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pad which may be inflated to any desired eX- tent and which may include any desired number of folds each constituting an inflated section.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a pad including an outer casing section having an inflated side and removably containing an inner inflated section composed of a plurality of folds or layers.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a pad capable of beingrcombined with a semi-rigid element interposed between certain cf the inflated folds thereof for shaping the pad Y to more effectively conform to the contour of a I bcdyfportion over which the pad is disposed.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully `apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan View, partly in section, illustrating a preferred form of the pad;

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view thereof talren substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan View on a reduced scale of a part of the pad as shown in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure a is a fragmentary side elevational view of the pad as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an end elevational view, partly in section thereof showing the pad as it will appear with a particular shaping insert;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a slightly modified form of the pad section of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of another modification of the pad section of Figure 3, and

Figure 8 is a cross sectional view thereof taken Y substantially along a'plane as indicated by the line 3-'8 of Figure 7. Y Y

Referring more specically to the drawings, a multiple pneumatic protection pad as illustrated in Figures l to 5 is designated generally Il] and includes an outer casing section, designated generally ll and a removable inner section, designated generally l2. The sections Il and I2 may be formed of various flexible nonporous materials such as plastic and rubber but are preferably formed of plastic since such material of a given thickness is lighter in Weight and more durable as well `as much stronger than rubber or other nonporous material and is equally as pliable or flexible.

The outer casing il forms a pocket having a side wall, designated generally I3 formed of two plies Il of the nonporous material which are vulcanized together along abutting portions thereof to provide the vulcanized abutting portions !5 between which are disposed un-vulcaniaed areas which when inflated form a lapped tube iii having parallel extending leg portions ll which are connected by connecting portions I8. The connecting portions i8 are staggeredly arranged as seen in Figure 1 and connect complementary end portions of adjacent legs il of the tube i6. The tube l@ is provided with a conventional type valve i3 preferably disposed at one end thereof and which is preferably of the type employed in bladders of footballs and basketballs and into which a needle is inserted for inflation and which closes automatically upon removal of the needle for sealing the inflated member. The outer casing Il also includes a strip 2s of a material corresponding to the plies id and which has outturned edges 2| along three of the four sides thereof which are vulcanized or otherwise secured to three of the four vulcanized edge portions l5. The strip f, as seen in Figures 2 and 5 forms with the wall I3 a pocket, designated generally 22, said strip Eil having a portion which is spaced from and disposed substantially parallel to the side wall i3 and inturned edge portions 23, of which the flanges 2l form continuations, which form three sides of the pocket 22, as seen in Figures 2 and 5. As seen in Figure 4, the fourth edge portion of the wall i3 is provided with a plurality of spaced grommets or eyelets 2li which are formed in the fourth vulcanized edge portion l5 thereof and the other, complementary edge 25 of the strip fi? which is disposed beneath said last mentioned vulcanized edge portion is provided with similar eyelets or grommets 25 which align with` the grommets 2li for receiving a lace 2l which is laced through the grommets 2li audit and tied as indicated at 23 in Figure 4 for closing the open edge of the pocket 22 sufficiently to retain the inner pad section I2 therein, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 5.

The inner pad section l2, as best seen in Figure 3, is of a length substantially greater than the length of the outer casing II and as illustrated in Figures 2 and 5, is likewise composed of two plies each comprising a strip of a nonporous flexible material such as plastic which strips 29 have portions thereof secured together in abutting engagement as by vulcanizing. The vlucanized portions of the strips 29 include vulcanized side edge portions and end portions 3D and series of vulcanized transverse bar portions 3l which are divided into three sections separated by 4wider transversely extending vulcanized bar portions 32. The bar portions 3l and 32 combine to form transversely extending inflatable portions which are disposed therebetween and which, when inilated, constitute transversely extending tubes 33. The ends of the bar portions 3l and 32 are likewise spaced from the longitudinally extending vulcanized edge portions 30 to form longitudinally extending iniiated tube portions 34 which communicate with the ends of the transversely extending inflated tube portions 33. The vulcanized bar portions disposed adjacent each end of the pad i2 likewise combine with the end portions of the vulcanized edges 30 to provide additional transverse inflated tube portions 33 which likewise communicate with the longitudinal inliated tube portions 34. One of the tube portions 33 preferably disposed intermediate of the ends of the pad I2 is provided with a valve v corresponding to the valve I9.

After the pad I2 has been inflated to a desired pressure, vone end section thereof yis folded over onto the intermediate section and the other end section is then folded over the rst mentioned end section, as illustrated in Figure 2 and with the tube portions of the intermediate and end sections disposed in interiitting relationship. The folded pad i2 is then inserted through the open edge of the pocket 22 after which the lace 2l is applied and tied, as illustrated .in Figure 4 to retain the pad I2 in the pocket 22. The wall i3 of the outer casing I i is then inated through the valve IS and the tube portions Il' thereof assume positions in intertting relationship to the tube portions 33 of the end section of the pad disposed adjacent thereto, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 5, so that the fully assembled inflated pad il) provides an inflated area of substantially uniform thickness throughout its length and width.. The multiple pneumatic pad I0 as thus assembled and inflated may be applied against any desired portion of the body and may be suitably secured thereto or to a garment covering said body portion and the pad I0 will be sufciently flexible so that if disposed to cover a joint such as an elbow or knee it will afford ample protection to the joint without adversely hampering the movement thereof. If it is desired to apply the pad to flat surface of the body as for example against the back, said pad Ill may be slightly rigidied or stiflened to maintain a flat condition as illustrated in Figure 2 by the insertion of a stiffening member therein, as for example a plate 3E which is preferably formed of ber and preferably inserted between the rst mentioned end section of the pad l2 and its intermediate section, as illustrated in Figure 2, so that the stifening member 3E will be cushioned on both sides thereof by inflated pad portions. If, on the other hand it is .desired to cause the pad to assume an arcuate shape to ilt the contour of the leg or arm, an arcuate stiffenlng member 36a corresponding to the member 36 except that it is of arcuate or curve shape may be inserted between the iirst mentioned end of the pad I2 and its intermediate portion, as illustrated in Figure 5.

Figure 6 illustrates a slightly modified form of inner pad vdesignated generally l2aincluding end sections corresponding to the end sections of the pad i2 having the transverse vulcanized bar portions 3Ia, the vulcanized edge portions 30a, the longitudinally extending inflatable tube portions Sila and the transversely extending inflatable tube portions 33a. The pad |20. also includes the wider vulcanized bar portions 32a dividing the sections which differ from the bar portions 32 in that one end of each bar portion 32a joins a vulcanized longitudinal edge portion 30a so that only one longitudinal tube portion Sila extends throughout the length of the three pad sections. The intermediate pad section differs from the end pad section in that it is provided with vulcanized bar portions `3'? in lieu of the bar portions Sla, which extend longitudinally of the pad I2a and have ends which are spaced from the transverse bar portion 320., to provide transversely extending inflatable tube portions 3B which extend between the vulcanized bar portions 32a and the ends of the vulcanized bar portions 31 and each of which communicates with the longitudinal tube portion tric, which extends from end-to-end of the inflated pad sections. Likewise, the tube portions 38 communicate with the ends of longitudinally extending tube portions 39 which are disposed between the bars 3l and between one of the bars 3l Vand the longitudinal edge portion 39a with which the bars 32a connect. The pad IZa is provided with a valve 35a, corresponding to the valve 35 and which communicates with the tube portion 34a, which extends substantially the length of the pad, and prefer-ably intermediate of the ends of said tube portion, so that air .may pass from the valve in all directions to simultaneously inflate the three sections of the pad I2a. The pad i2a is employed with the outer casing lI in the same manner as the pad I2, -as previously described and as illustrated in Figures 2 and 5.

Figures 7 and 'S illustrate another 'form of inner pad, designated generally Se, which is likewise formed of two plies each comprising a stri of." plastic 48 and which plies have vulcanized portions si dividing the pad 35i into three sections: each of which includes a plurality of circular or annular Vunvulcanized portions which when in flated form annular tubes t2, each of which has a central vulcanized portion fila, as best illustrated in Figure 8. The pad sections are also provided with a network of unvulcanized portions extending between and communicating with the annular tube portions l2 which form inflated communicating Vpassages 63 between the various tube portions lill of each `pad section. is clearly illustrated in Figur-e 7, the inflated portions is?. and #i3 of each pad section are separated from the inated portions of the other pad sections by vulcanized portions @l so that one of the tube portions 552 of each pad section of the pad 35i is provided with a valve M, each of which valves correspond to the valve iS or 35. It will likewise Ybe readily apparent that the pad 39 may be inflated and folded similar to the pad l2 for insertion into the outer casing il and it will also be apparent that if desired the sections of the pad 3% may be inflated to different pressures.

It will also be apparent that the valves i9, 35, 35a and 44 may be sealed, if desired, after the pads have been inflated to a desired pressure to prevent over or under inflation of the pads by the user.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A multiple pneumatic protection pad c-omprising an outer section and an inner section, said outer section comprising a casing formed of a flexible material defining a pocket having an opening along an edge of said outer section, one side wall of said outer section being formed of two plies of a nonp-orous material having portions secured together in abutting engagement and other unsecured portions forming an inflatable tubing, said inner section beingr formed of two plies of flexible nonporous material having portions thereof secured together in abutting engagement disposed between and surrounding other unsecured portions of said last mentioned plies, said last mentioned unsecured portions formingv inflatable tube portions, said inner section being disposed within the pocket of the outer section to provide an inflated multiple pad when the tube portions of said sections are inflated, and tie means connecting the edges of said outer section defining the open edge of said pocket for retaining the inner section therein.

2. A multiple pneumatic pad as in claim l, said inner section including transversely extending longitudinally spaced relatively wide abutting Vportions dividing the inner section into an intermediate part and end parts, said end parts being folded onto the intermediate part to form three folded pad portions when the inner section is disposed in the pocket of the outer section.

3. A multiple pneumatic pad as in claim 2, said inflated portions of the outer section including parallel tube portions and communicating tube portions extending between said parallel tube portions, the inflated portions of said inner section including spaced parallel tube portions and longitudinally extending tube portions connecting said parallel tube portions, said parallel tube portions of the folds of the inner section being disposed in staggered interiltting relationship to one another, and the parallel tube portions of said outer section being disposed in staggered intertting relationship to the tube portions of the adjacent fold of the inner section.

4. A multiple pneumatic pad as in claim 1, said inner section being folded to provide a plurality of inflated folds disposed Within said pocket, and a substantially flat stiffening member disposed in the pocket .between certain of said folds for maintaining the pad in substantially a flat condition.

5. A multiple pneumatic pad as in claim 1, said inner section being folded to provide a plurality of inilated'folds disposed within said pocket, and a stiifening member interposed between certain of said folds, said stiffening member being bowed from end-to-end thereof to oonformably shape the inflated pad.

6. A multiple pneumatic pad as in claim 1, the inflatable portion of said outer section and the inflatable portion of said inner section each being provided with at least one valve.

7. A multiple pneumatic pad as in claim 1, said inner section including an intermediate portion and corresponding end portions7 each of said corresponding end portions including a plurality of transversely extending inflated tube portions and said intermediate portion including a plurality of longitudinally extending inflated tube portions, and a connecting inflated portion communicating with each of said longitudinally and transversely extending tube portions.

8. A multiple pneumatic pad as in claim l., said inner section being composed of corresponding end portions and an intermediate portion, each of said portions having a separate inflated portion including a plurality of annular inflated tube portions each connected to other of said annular tube portions by other inflated portions forming communicating passages.

9. A multiple pneumatic pad as in claim l, said inner section having its inflated portions composed of a plurality of spaced annular tube portions and connecting passage portions extending between and communicating with said annular' tube portions.

10. A flexible pneumatic pad comprising a casing defining a pocket, an inner pad disposed within said pocket and having a plurality of lapped folds each including an inflated area having substantially parallel inflated portions, the inflated portions of said folds being spaced apart and disposed in staggered interiltting relationship, one wall of said casing defining the pocket having an inflated area including substantially parallel inflated portions disposed in staggered interfitting relationship to the parallel inflated portions of the fold of the pad disposed adjacent thereto and forming a part of the pneumatic pad and combining with the inflated portions of the lapped folds to provide an inated pad area of substantially uniform thickness.

CECIL A. CUSHMAN. WILLIAM HARRISON, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 871,760 Long Nov. 19, 1907 2,000,873 Arens May 7, 1935 

